"No you're not," Yang Qing softly said as he took a seat opposite the elderly man.

The elderly man seemed to be in disbelief as he kept looking around with a dumbfounded expression as he touched his body repetitively.

He did this to make sure what he was feeling was real, and he wasn't just a ghost unable to move on due to regret and the lingering attachment he had for the sect.

Only when he had sufficiently calmed down and confirmed he was indeed alive, did he have the presence of mind to notice there was another person in the room with him.

He was also surprised to find out his body felt more vigorous. The grave injuries he had accompanied by discomfort and pain that came from those accumulated injuries, had all disappeared.

His body was pristinely new like he had been reborn again.

"While I may have healed your body, I'm afraid there's not much I can do about the lifespan you've lost by overdrawing your soul essence.

Even if your soul had been perfectly intact, my healing wouldn't have been able to add more years to your life since the base lifespan of a cultivator falls upon the laws of the world.

I'm afraid only natural treasures can help with that," said Yang Qing.

He didn't want the elderly man to misunderstand and become disillusioned that he was okay, like he had a new lease on life. While Yang Qing had healed all the damage he had ever done to his body, his base lifespan remained unchanged.

If a mortal took really good care of himself/herself, they would be able to reach 100 years and with some luck, they'd reach maybe 150 years at the maximum.

But if they wanted to live past those years and maybe reach 200 years or more, it would be an impossibility because the natural laws governing their body prevented them to be able to live that long.

As long as they don't cultivate and remain the same, even a soul formation expert would find it difficult to increase their lifespan.

The only way that mortals could live longer is if they embarked on cultivation thus breaking their mortal shackles and fundamentally evolving their being every time with every breakthrough. Or if they had the aid of some natural treasures that had the Dao of life as its main attribute. But even that, would still fundamentally change the constitution of that mortal.

The elderly man before him was nearing his end because he had lived the complete lifespan afforded to him as an early foundation establishment cultivator. Though he did squander a bit of his lifespan by draining his soul essence, he already didn't have much time left.

From what Yang Qing could tell based on his bone age, the elderly man had lived for atleast 1,000 years and the drained soul essence reduced whatever time he had left to just one or two months at the most.

....

The elderly man seemed a bit shaken up by the news he heard from Yang Qing before smiling bitterly.

"Atleast when the time comes, I'll go in comfort rather than the constant pain I endured over the years.

Thank you senior for helping an old man such as myself."The elderly man bowed as he was seated in a lotus position.

"There's no need for that, senior," Yang Qing said as he lifted him up with a gentle force.

"Senior?"

The elderly man ruminated over the words Yang Qing had said before a look of shock appeared on his face as he took in Yang Qing's young look.

He knew his injuries very well and he knew only those skilled old foggies who have poured thousands and thousands of years into medicine, would be able to completely heal his body.

There was no injury left, even his pillars which were on the verge of collapsing had all been stabilized.

This was a complete restoration and how long had it even taken?

He wasn't skilled in medicine himself but he atleast had a general idea of the skills that would be required to help him get a full recovery. At the very least it had to be someone who was a high-rank Orange-grade medical arts practitioner.

....

"Thank you for your benevolence esteemed master. Once again, I'm deeply thankful for your aid. If there's anything you need, I Wang Yi will not hesitate to offer my services," the elderly man solemnly said as he cupped his fists.

"Pardon my insolence, I still haven't introduced myself. My name is Wang Yi and I'm the sect master of the Clear sword river sect, though I fear both my post and the sect will soon disappear," he said as a painful melancholic smile appeared on his face.

"Would you like some tea, esteemed master? It may not be much but it's the only thing I have to offer," Wang Yi said as he smiled in embarrassment at the impoverished status of his sect.

Yang Qing nodded his head in acceptance as sect master Wang Yi picked up a small white porcelain kettle with two cups.

He used a small mystical art to produce water which he then proceeded to mix with the green tea leaves in the kettle.

He did everything in an experienced, gentle, and practiced motion. Within a few seconds, the brew was already ready, which he then poured for Yang Qing first then himself.

The tea was more light yellow than green like the leaves had been repetitively used and drained of every last richness they had.

Yang Qing didn't mind as he could tell Wang Yi was a seasoned pro in tea making. Even with subpar resources, a seasoned expert could do so much with them.

"Thank you for the offer, sect master Wang Yi. My name is Yang Qing and I'm from the Order, you should know why I'm here," Yang Qing said with pity flashing in his eyes as he noticed the trembling pupils in sect master Wang Yi's eyes.

"From the Order huh...?..At the rate we are going, it was bound to happen," Wang Yi absent-mindedly muttered as he took a small sip from his tea.Yang Qing mirrored his actions as he too took a sip.

"As expected, it's still good," Yang Qing thought as he savored the tea which still managed to retain some flavor despite the weak ingredients.

....

"Master Yang Qing, can you indulge this old man for a bit?" Wang Yi weakly asked.

Yang Qing gently nodded in acquiescence.

Sect master Wang Yi exhaled as he stared at the roof with a cloudy look as his expression turned nostalgic.

"I may be the sect master now, but in its heyday, I wasn't even fit to be considered an outer sect disciple of the Clear sword river sect.

I was a member of the servants division of the sect. We handled the daily miscellaneous tasks around the sect such as cleaning, gardening, cooking, playing instruments, and the like.

We ensured the menial daily necessities of the sect were met so the cultivators within the sect could place their entire focus on cultivation.

We strived to create an environment that was suited for just that.

Even though it didn't seem like a glamorous job to others but to us, it was a privilege and a great undertaking that we did with great pride.

My memories as a servant in the sect master's pavilion are what has helped me get through the past few years.

While my being the sect master is nothing but a constant nightmare, the proof that the Clear sword river sect I knew, has all but disappeared if all it has is a servant to hold the forte as its sect master.

It's a cruel joke that I've had to endure for over a century.

Death would be a release from this torment but I'm also afraid to face my predecessors in the next life.

I'm ashamed to tell them that I was unable to preserve the embers of the sect and Clear sword river is no more...."

Wang Yi's voice cracked as he said the last part. His look turned listless and lifeless.

There wasn't much Yang Qing could say at the moment since he was the proverbial nail into the Clear sword river sect's coffin.

"The world is truly a mercurial place for a former rank 3 sect to fall this far," thought Yang Qing as his thoughts drifted to the circumstances that befell the Clear sword river sect.

A thousand years ago it was a rank 3 sect which although didn't completely stand out in its era, was still a decent cultivation sect that would garner respect wherever it went.

It had an unfathomable sword cultivation art whose versatility drew the envy and respect of many. With that as a foundation, it was able to grow in strength and stature as it drew in countless geniuses.

If nothing unexpected happened, its rise into the top ranks of rank 3 organizations, was all but guaranteed.

However the unexpected did happen, in the form of their legacy disciple who invited a calamity that reduced the sect into the shell of its former self, it was today.

They lost everything; their sect grounds, their power, fame, and disciples till they regressed to the point they were about to become an unranked sect with only 12 members. Of which, Yang Qing wasn't even sure that some of them were members of the sect.

This was a sect that once had a territory that rivaled the Deer mountain kingdom in size, and unlike them, they had a firm grip on their territory.